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Are Investors Undervaluing Piedmont Realty Trust, Inc. (PDM) Right Now?

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Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

Piedmont Realty Trust, Inc. (PDM - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. PDM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 6.36, which compares to its industry's average of 15.19. Over the last 12 months, PDM's Forward P/E has been as high as 7.42 and as low as 4.06, with a median of 5.54.

Investors should also recognize that PDM has a P/B ratio of 0.72. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 1.76. PDM's P/B has been as high as 0.84 and as low as 0.46, with a median of 0.63, over the past year.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. PDM has a P/S ratio of 1.45. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 3.72.

Finally, investors should note that PDM has a P/CF ratio of 7.02. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 15. PDM's P/CF has been as high as 8.83 and as low as 4.29, with a median of 6.18, all within the past year.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Piedmont Realty Trust, Inc.'s strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, PDM looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

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